Jan. 14, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Penn State men's volleyball team (1-0) opened the 2012 season with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) victory against defending national champion and No. 8 Ohio State Saturday evening. Three Nittany Lions posted double-digit kills against the Buckeyes (2-3).
Junior Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y.) led the team with 12 kills on .409 hitting. Redshirt senior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) posted 11 kills, while sophomore Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) had 10. Redshirt senior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) paced the offense with 30 assists and Olsen had a match-high 10 digs. Junior Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) was a wall at the net with five blocks and freshman Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) was second on the team with four.
Penn State hit .236 against the Buckeyes and totaled 41 kills, seven aces, 32 digs and 9.5 total team blocks. Ohio State registered a .152 attack percentage and had 28 kills, one ace, 26 digs and 8.5 team blocks.
The first set was close from the start, but Penn State grabbed a narrow two-point lead, 5-3, after kills from Olsen and Russell and a Goas ace. Penn State maintained a slim lead until two kills from Shawn Sangrey and a PSU error had the score tied at 9-9. A joint block by Sunder and Turko put the Lions back in the lead, 10-9, and a PSU error gave Penn State a two point cushion. The score soon tied again, this time at 12-12, after back-to-back Lion errors. However, the Buckeyes tallied two errors as well and Olsen pounded a kill for PSU to push Penn State back on top, 15-13. Despite Ohio State tying it up at 15-15, another OSU error and a kill from Sunder sent Ohio State to the bench for a timeout. The Nittany Lions continued to maintain the lead until two straight Buckeye kills had the score at 20 all. The score tied twice more before a Sunder putdown and a dual block by Turko and Comfort had PSU at set point, 24-22. Ohio State called a timeout, but Russell secured set one for PSU with an ace for a 25-22 win.
The Nittany Lions continued their success in set two with a 25-23 triumph. Penn State opened the set taking a 5-2 lead forcing an early Buckeye timeout. Ohio State closed the gap to one, 7-6, but an OSU error and kills by Comfort and Sunder increased Penn State's lead to three, 10-7. Soon after, a 4-0 PSU run have the Lions with a comfortable five-point advantage, 14-9. After a second Buckeye timeout, Ohio State once again fought to within one, 15-14. Penn State worked back to a four-point lead, 20-16, courtesy of kills from Comfort, Russell and Sunder. Ohio State answered back with three unanswered points to cut Penn State's lead to a slim 20-19. The Nittany Lions called a timeout and Turko and Olsen followed with two kills for a 22-19 lead. Grayson Overman pounded a kill to prevent a final run by the Lions, but a joint stuff by Goas and Turko had the Lions within two points of a set two win. Ohio State managed three straight points to tie it up at 23-23 and PSU headed back to the bench. Olsen put down a kill for set point and Russell tallied a solo block for the victory!
The third set began much like the first. It wasn't until midway through the frame that Penn State used a 4-0 run to take a 14-11 lead. Ohio State called a timeout but a 4-2 PSU run had Penn State leading by five, 18-13 and Ohio State burning its second timeout. OSU followed the break with a block, but two kills by Comfort and one from Turko saw the Lions moving ahead by six, 21-15. Penn State's offensive onslaught continued as Olsen pounded two, and Russell and Comfort each recorded one to close out the set and the match, 25-17.
Penn State remains on the road for a trip to Loyola-Chicago and Lewis on Jan. 20-21. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2012 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.